The present invention relates in general to an improved compartmented container. More particularly, the container of this invention may be used either as a refrigerator or a heat container.
There presently exists a number of devices that are designed to store products at predetermined temperatures. However, these devices are generally very inefficient because they consume substantial amounts of energy and are expensive to operate. These known devices generally employ a relatively substantial door for opening the entire device. This makes their use uncomfortable in that in order to select a product, a person must be exposed to the cold or heat.
Furthermore, to remove an item from the refrigerator, the whole door must be opened allowing cold air to escape, in the case of a refrigerator, and at the same time permitting warm air to penetrate into the refrigerator. Moreover, in many cases, an item to be removed is located at the rear of the refrigerator behind other items obstructing the view. When the item is located, it is not easy to reach and, therefore, removal of obstructing items is necessary to provide direct access to the item one wishes to select. Thus, the whole procedure is time consuming and very energy inefficient.
There presently exists drawer arrangements and rotating shelves within a refrigerator. However, these still require the main door of the refrigerator to be opened and, thus, there is no barrier to prevent the cool air from escaping and the warm air from penetrating to uninsulated drawers and the exposed portion of the remainder of the refrigerator. Furthermore, the rotating shelf concept is generally too fragile to support heavy items, and due to its generally round configuration, there is a considerable loss of space.
Also, in connection with a freezer, there is presented an even greater problem. If the item that is desired is located on the bottom of the freezer and many items are packed thereover, selection is virtually impossible.
In refrigerator units that are employed in supermarkets and other stores or commercial establishments, there is a substantial energy loss which, of course, means an attendant saving loss. These freezers generally are wide open causing a cooling of the building while many times heating systems are operating concurrently therewith. This is highly inefficient.
Accordingly, one general object of the present invention is to retain the use of energy and provide an improved and more convenient and efficient means for the refrigeration and freezing of food or other items. In accordance with the present invention the container that is provided maintains food or any other material at a well-controlled temperature in spite of the fact that there may be frequent access to the inside of the container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container preferably used as a refrigerator and which is characterized by a considerable saving in electricity or any other energy. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention a plurality of drawers are used instead of the large door, with each drawer preferably being assigned a particular type of product.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator or the like which is constructed to prevent excessive change in temperature within the container during storage and removal of items therefrom.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container having more efficient use of storage space and one which is, therefore, capable of accommodating substantially more items than can be accommodated by existing containers presently on the market. This means that for the same size outer dimension container, more material can be stored therein.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a container which facilitates the storage of food or any other substance for domestic, as well as for any industrial or hospital applications.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container that will operate much more efficiently from an energy standpoint and which can be used to eliminate the open types of freezers presently employed in supermarkets and other establishments.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a container preferably in the form of a refrigerator and which is adapted to permit speedy storage and removal of desired items or products from the container.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a container that enables a considerable speeding up of the finding of items that are stored therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container that maintains a relatively uniform temperature therein even though the container is subjected to substantial usage by placing and removal of items therefrom.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container that is constructed to prevent spoiling of items which is many times occasioned by the frequent access to the container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container that prevents spoilage of items which may be stored longer than they should have been. In this regard, there is a unique identification system in accordance with this invention that clearly indicates the position of all items stored in the container.
Amother object of the present invention is to provide a container that provides easy access to frozen items without disturbing the entire contents of the freezer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container that is adapted for easy maintenance and cleaning.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container that is readily adapted to the cleaning of only portions thereof without interference with the rest of the container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container that enables time saving in that only sections of the container, including only some of the drawers require cleaning.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container that can be properly cleaned and defrosted when necessary without requiring the shutting off of the entire apparatus. It is believed that this will substantially prolong the life of the container by eliminating these frequent on and off power operations.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a container that is much more convenient to use and that it does not require the opening of the large door but instead simply the sliding of a drawer or the like.
Another object of the present invention is to utilize storage space more efficiently than in a conventional refrigerator.
Another object of the present invention is to maintain refrigerator operation while cleaning a compartment without any interference with the rest of the container.
Another object of the present invention is to save considerable electrical or any other energy, by using a drawer instead of a large door for storage.